Bottle-capping machine



E. A. OLIVERL BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24.I919.

l ,3 1 0,96, Patented July 22, 1919.

5'SHEETSSHEET E. A. OLIVER.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLlCATlON FILED JAN-24.1919.

Patented July 22, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

' E. A OLIVER.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN.24. 1919.

Patented J uly 22, 1919:

5 SHEE-TSSHEET 4.

Patented July 22, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHELF 5.

2 13 95 n; T 9/ l I '72 7 I h 1 I ERNEST A. onrvnreon FLUSHING, NEW YORK, nssreivon'ro VICTORY BOTTLE MACHINE 00., me, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

CAPPIN G IBOTTItE-CAPPING MACHINE.

Patented July 212, we.

. Application filed January 24, 1919. 1 Serial No. 272,805.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST A. OLIVER, a

' citizen of the United States of America, re-

"siding at Flushing, county'of'Queens, State of, New York, have invented certain new and; useful Improvements in Bottle-Capping Machines,- of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that type-of bottle capping machines in which a rotating table and star wheel present'an' advanc ng line of bottles one by one to the capping mechanism. ,In such machines it is necessary'that the bottles shall be delivered to the star wheel feeding device at accurately determined, moments of time, and that -means shall be provided-to relieving the cap-aflixing plungers from any excessive pressure such as is ordinarily created when a plunger engages an unusually long, bottle. My present invention meets these requirements and possesses other advantages which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The best form of apparatus at present known to me embodying my: invention is illustrated in the accompanying five sheets of drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is-a frontview of the machine with the cap feeding mechanism removed.

Fig. 2 is avertical central section on lin e f Fig. 3 is a detail view of the cap feeder in section and. with parts broken away on Fig. 2.

the-plane of lines 3-3 of Fig. 2. r Fig. 4 is a plan view on .line 4 4 of Fig. ,5 is a plan view on -line of Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation vertical section on line 6-6'of Fig. 5, showinga part of the mechanism for operating the gate for the bottle feed. o Fig. 7 is an enlarged'detailyertical sec tion taken on line 77 of Fig. 'lfishowing a bottle in position and the capping plunger head-forced down by action of the'pressure' cam, parts being broken away.

plunger head up, while it is out of ment with the pressure cam.

Fig. 9' is a detail o the plunger lifting F ig.- 10 is; an axial section through the.

characters indicate like parts.

supported an approximately lower end of the plunger head shown in Fig. 8, taken on a plane at right angles to that of Fig.8.

- Fig. 11 is a cross section of the plunger head on-line 11 11 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a view similarto Fig. 7 showing a modified plunger-relief mechanism,

and

Fig. 13 is across section on line 13-43 of Fig. 12.

Throughout the drawings like reference 1, represents on which is oval shaped This table themain frame of the machine table 2, (see Figs. 1,4 and 5). has a rotating section 3, located drical openin at the center of the main table and .thls rotating table section is mounted ona vertical shaft 4, journaled in in acylinhearings 5, 6 and 7, carriedby the main.

frame, thebearing 5, being a step bearing to support the shaft.- The rotating table section 3, is keyed toshaft 4, by key 8, and

supported and vertically adjusted by means of the nut 24, threaded on shaft 4, and these parts are rotated by .the worm wheel 9, on

'shaft 4, engaging the worm 10, which is part of the shaft of pulley 11. The pulley isdriven by belt 12, from the electric .motor 13, carried by the machine frame or, in any other convenient manner.

The rotating table "3, has a series of pads 14, 14, set in its upper surface equally spaced about the table center of the proper size to receive the bottoms of a series of bottles. These pads are made of some elastic mate- .rial so as to yield slightly when downward pressure is applied to the bottles. Over the f rotating table 3, is the usual star wheel employed in machines of this type which as shown is composed ofya lower portion 15,

and upper portion or plate 16, fastened to the sleeve on the lower portion by plate screws 17, 17, the latter being fastened to the supporting sleeve 21, by set screw 18. A second portion 19, of the star wheel con sists of a ring with radial arms together constituting an outer section of the star wheel adjustable on the first described sec tion and fastened in any particular adjustment by set screw 20. The sleeve 21, which is on shaft 4, has a flange on its lower end through which pass screws 25, for fastenthe table'2, to the left of the rotating table section 3, looking at Figs. 4 and 5. A se-.

net gate 31, by the. hinge 32. This gate 31, 'is .normallyheld in position by' spring 33-,

ing the sleeve to table secti'on By th s construction "the two. sections of the star wheel may be adjusted angularly on;v the shaft so as 'to-hold the bottles received between its-arms over the. pads 14, and the two parts of the star wheel can be angularly Above the table and star wheel is a rotating spider 54, which'is' keyed to the shaft 4, by a key so as to rotate synchronously.

with the table and th-i's'spideris further supportedby the upper section22, of the vertical sleeve, which screws into the lower section 21, and is held in any desired position of adjustment therein by set screw 23.

For feeding bottles to the table 3, and star- Wheel, I employ aprotating carrier disk 53',- which is mounted in and over an "opening in ries of bottles is delivered tothe outer edge of this carrier disk by any feed'mechanism,

not here shown, and ass in between the] .outer curved feed gui e 26, and the inner curved feed uide 28'. Outer guide 26,- is

' fastened on t 1e stationary part of table 2,

as by bolts and lugs 27 The inner guide 28, consists of an oblong plate with a curved raised inner edge concentric with the outer the pins 30," set in table -2, and vertical s guide 26, and the horizontal portion of this plate preferably has slots 29, which engage 49, on which carrier disk 53, is mounted. As a result. the'inner guide 28, 1s adjustable toward and from outer guide 26,-so as-to ac- Zcommodate bottles of different diameters.

To the inner end of the vertical, curved'portion ofthe inner guide 28, is plvoted the rewhich presses against a fixed stud on the I horizontal portion of guide plate28', shown in Figs. 2, 4. an'd'5. On thetable 2, may be mounted a stationary guide 36, practically concentric with the edge of the rotating table wheel recesses. After the'bottles have been.

' capped they are-discharged bythe action of 3,and the space between it and the relief gate 31, is then bridged by the spring .con-

to the star wheel and--rotatin table'3, and

accurately centering said bott es in the star the ejector guide 37..

To accurately time the delivery of the bottles to' the star wheel and rotating tables 3, I

employ a double gate mechanismcomprising a member 38, curved concentrically to the outerguide- 26, having at one end a circumferentially adjustable pin and slot connec tion 39, to a lug on the guide 26, and at the iaft tle surface so thatit will grasp and clamp a bottle against the guide 28, in any one of a number of positions .within certain limits.

On. the other hand, the gate finger 41', pushes 1n front of anybottle which it mayencounter during itsstroke across the guide passage and accurately places that bottle (held against 1t by the friction of the carrier disk 5-3) in a definite position. The preferred means foro'perating this gate comprise a cam lever 44, pivoted at 45, v on' the table 2, and adapted to be struck and moved by the rotating star wheel. Theother end of the 021111161 01 is connected by link 47, to the member 38. The gate finger 41, is guided at one end in a slot in tlfeouter guide 26, and at the other end by passing through a perforation in the stationary pivot 45. The gate finger and connected parts are normally forced intb the guide passage, (when the cam lever 44 is disengaged from the star wheel) by the spring 46, coiled around the shank of finger 41, and confined bet-ween pivot 45 and the head of gate finger-41, as shown in Figs. 4,5 and 6.

The carrier disk 53 is rotated by means of the driving disk 48, bearing against the circumference of rotating table section 3,'the

both rigidly mounted 'on .vertical shaft 49.

-D riving disk 48, is heldin frictional contact with the rotating table '3, by reason of the fact that its supporting shaft 49, is mounted on a lever 50, pivoted tota-ble 2, at 51, at

"one end, while the other end is pulled toward the rotating table by the-tension spring The rotating spider 54-,- carriesa series of capping plunger heads 56, which are verti- .cally movable in the spider. -These plun gers have transverse stub shafts set in their upper ends and held thereinby' set screws .58. These shafts: arearranged'radially to the main shaft 4, and on their inner ends carry beveled anti-friction rollers f 59, resting on stationary beveledca'm 64,whi ch is carried by casting '63, from the cross head .65,which is vertically adjustable in the main frame by means of the boltandfset screw attachments 66, to'said main fran' e.

These short shafts 57, also carry 'antifric'tion cylmdrical rollers 60, and have intermediate flattened sections '61, which move upfa'n'cl down in slots 62, man upwardly projecting As a result the cap-j sleeve from spider 54.

ping plunger heads 56,."are-prevented from rotatmg on their axes and the beveled anti-l' friction rollers 59, are maintained in proper .cesses of the plung'ers. Inthese internal recesses and above the dies are mounted e ector plungers 70, normally forced down by springs 71, pocketed in tthe recesses of. the

plungers 56 and bearing against the collars 72, on ejector plungers70.

73, is a side slot in the guide section 67, through which a bottle cap 74, may pass from the cap chute 76, which engages the circumferential slot 75, in the spider 54, and registers with the slot 73, in each capping plunger head as it comes opposite. The means for feeding bottle-caps to this chute 76, comprise the hopper '7 7 supported on the upper portion of, the machine, and having in its lower portion a rotating hollow-capfeeding wheel 78, supported on horizontal shaft 79, which is rotated by means of beveled pinion 80, meshing with bevel gear 81, on'sliaftl. By the operation of this mechanism the rotation of the table and main shaft 4, conveys motion to the hollow cap-feeding Wheel 78, which tumbles the caps over until they drop into the radial spaces shown in Fig. 3, in the right position to drop down the chute 76, when coming opposite thereto, so'that they aredelivered by this chute to the plunger heads 56 right side up.

As the machine operates, the plunger heads 56, are held .up'by, reason of the beveled rollers 59, running on the higher portions .of the cam 64, until any particular plunger approaches the pressure cam 82. The beveled" roller then runs down into the depression in cam64, shown in .Fig. 9, so

" that the die 68, descends around the bottle 72, on ejector plunger 70, having come to a bearing on a second shoulder on the interior mouth and forces the cap over the bottlemouth, as shown in Figs. -7 and 12, the die 68 crimpin the edges of the ca down ottle'mouth in the wel known around the way. Normally this stage of operations occurs before the beveled roller reaches the bottom of the depression in the cam 64, and thereupon the pressure cam 82, comes into action and positively drives the plunger head down a little farther and. the collar of plunger 56, the top of the cap is simutaneously flattened .out by the end of the said ejector plunger. Further motion of the table and spider 54, carries the whole assemblage of parts free from pressure cam 82, the plunger head 56, is lifted by cam 64:,

must be a yielding pressure, although a confsiderable one. In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 8, this pressure is prlmarily produced by the weight 85, on cam lever 83, said lever being pivoted at 84, so that it is free to rise and fall except as controlled by this weight or by the compression spring 86, which bears upon the top of the lever and is confined at its upper end by bearing upon the upper cross head 89, in a pocket of which the spring is seated. 87 is a tic-rod pivoted to the lever 83, movable through the cross head 89, and limited asto its downward movement by the adjustable lock nuts 88 (see Fig. 1); This tie-rod holds the cam lever 83, in itsnormal position when the same is free, but permits it to riSe slightly when one of the rollers 60, on top of a capping plunger head comes under it and engages the'cam 82, and tends .to lift it with a force greater than the downward pressure of weight 85. The action of the described mechanism therefore is such that when a bottle of normal length comes under the cam 82, the weight 85, holds said cam down in operative position with sufiicient force to i creasing resistan e under compression, and

the prom t return of the cam to normal position a er the bottle passes is thereby insured. In the modification shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the weight 85, is omitted and the spring 86 is made stronger than 86, having a resisting power under full compression equal to the resisting power of weight 85, and spring 86, or greater, but the necessary relief of the cam to prevent breaking of a long bottle is secured by means of the beveled friction latch, or key 92, which is mounted in a horizontal slot in a housing 89, on the upper cross head and engages a beveled face or shoulder 91, on the sideof a square trip-sleeve 90, which sleeve is mounted in a verticalpassageway of square cross section in the housing 95, carried by cross head 89-, and serves as the backing member or rest for the spring 86, Normally the beveled latch 92 is held in engagement in the position shown in Fig. 12, by means of the compression spring 93, which may be regulated by theadjusting screw 94', the spring being *heldibetween the latch and screw.- When excess pressure is applied to spring 86 above'a predetermined amou'nt,

which is below the breaking pressure on a 1 bottle, the latch spring 93, will yield and:

permit the latch 92, to slide back releasing the supporting sleeve 90, so that the same cam'lever coiiperating with it, the bottle will may jump upward and relieve the pressure on the cam 82. I

The general method of operation of the -machine is as follows: Bottles fed to the rotating friction disk pass by reason of its rotation'between guides 26 and '28 and are stopped one by one by thegate. The gate finger holds each successive bottle in a posi-.

tion such that when the gate is withdrawn, by operation'of the. star wheel striking the move forward again just in timeto fit into one of the star wheel recesses. At the same time; the next .bottlein 'hne, whi'chhas beenheld-.10 the clamp, is released from a position" viinich enables it to travel forward to take i position against the gate finger before said finger is again withdrawn. The rotating table section 3, the star wheel and the spider 54, rotate continuously, a cap ing head 56, being held above each bottle eld in the star wheel. Each cappinghead, after passing the cap chute, has a cap in'it held over, in proper position, -any bottle beneath it. "Each capping head so equipped and having a bottle 'beneath itcomes in its order underpressure cam 82, and is driven'down table, astationary. pressure cam located,

to crimpthe cap on the bottle as previously explained, the supporting cam having a depression in it to permit ,of this. As each head passes under and clears' thepres'sure. cam 82, it is lifted by the supporting cam, frees itself from, the' capped 'bottle, and passes on to the cap chute to receive another cap. The capped bottle remaining on the rotating table section 3, is carried around until t' s'trikes'the ejector guide by which i of on to the stationary table 2, and mo, d by an attendant.

Havingidescribed my invention, I claim: Ina-bottle capping machine the combination, with the main frame, 'of a rotating table for carrying'the bottles, .a rotating spider located above the table, a Series of vertically movable plunger heads mounted in said spider one over each bottle on'the above the head and adapted to be engaged successively by the plunger heads,ras thetable and spider and, means'for feeding a cap to each bottle earned by the table and holding sameinposition on the bottle durhead above the bottle.

"2. In a bottle capping'machine the combination, with means for placing a cap;0n

each bottle, of a plunger head for forcing the cap on the bottle, means for raising the plunger a cam adapted-to engage the ing the downward motion of the plunger plunger head and force it down on the bottle,

a springbacking for the cam, a movable member against which the spring rests, and

a spring-held latch engagingsaid movable member, the engaging surfaces of the latch and member being so inclined that with a given spring pressure behind the latch 1t will not. be forced back and thereby release the-spring backing for the cam until a predetermined amount of pressure is exerted. on the cam by the plunger head.

3. In a bottle capping machine, a rotating bottle capping mechanism combined with 'abottle feedingapparatus comprising a pair of'vertical guides,-continuously moving friction means for advancing a series of bottles along betweensald guides, and a double stop apparatus for regulating the delivery of suchbottles to the capping machine at regular intervals 'of'time, whlch stop apparatus consists of a pointed gate projecting later-' ally through one guide near the delivery end and adapted to hold a bottle in a definite.

position against the advancing friction means, a broader faced clamp projecting through the guide and adapted to hold the next bottle in Whatever position it may be caught, Within limits, and means for simultaneously rojec'tingsaid gates through the guide sync ronously with the movements of the bottle capping mechanism.

4. A combination such as set forth in claim 3 in which the last named reciprocating means comprise, a spring forcing the gates into -the guidepassage, and a cam lever operated by the bottle capping mechanis'm to retract the gates.

5. A combination such as set forth in claim 3, in which the means for reciprocating the gate and clamp comprise a fixed pin,

a member. outside the perforated guide pivoted at one end to the reciprocating gate, having a slid ng connectlonwith the fixed.

pin at its other end, and having the clamp fa'djustably mounted ori it at an intermediate po1nt,.a sprin normally tendingto force the gate and 0 amp through the guide into the pathway of the' bottles between the.

guides, andmeclianism connected to the said member and periodically operated by the,

bottle capping mechanism to withdraw'the gate and clamp against the opposition of the spring, and release them to be subsequently (returned by the action of the springwhereby any bottle held by the gate will be released at the exact moment and distance to permit the friction advancing means to. properly deliver it to the bottle capping device at the ping head engaging saidsupporting-cam, 10 1Ejroper time, and the next bottle in line will' whereby the capping heads are held up by e released to advance up to'engagelnent the supporting cam until one comes under With the returning gate. the pressure cam, and is then permitted if? 6. A structure such asset forth inclaim 1, thereby to drop down and place its concombined With a stationary supporting cam tained cap on the bottle beneath preparatory 15 located centrally of the spider and having a. to the crimping operation thereupon'effected depressed-portion registeringwith the presv by the pressure cam. p sure ca'm, and a projection from each cap- ERNEST A. OLIVER. 

